The Hat | 88.08m | 28s | Cidex Group | NORR

General rating of the project

  • Great

    Votes: 2 4.1%
  • Good

    Votes: 16 32.7%
  • So So

    Votes: 18 36.7%
  • Not Very Good

    Votes: 9 18.4%
  • Terrible

    Votes: 4 8.2%

  • Total voters
    49
This is great. I wonder if Cidex will move forward with their West Village/Stampede Pontiac site as well.
 
I haven't heard about this one. Is that why reason they bulldozed the buildings?

Yeah, the development is called West Village Towers, it is one 150 meter tower, one 125 meter tower, and one 100 meter tower, with several thousand square meters of retail at the base. Here are some renders...

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Excellent news for EV. Amazing that EV keeps gping strong in this economy.

It's really quite incredible. I'm not sure the exact dates when Verve and Fifth & Third started, but we can safely say that we've seen four construction starts in the EV alone in only the past five months. That's quite something even for one neighbourhood during boom times, let alone in the midst of the second worst recession this province has ever seen.
 
The rise of EV is nothing short of amazing. I hope the economy picks up so the rest of EV can be developed.


It's really quite incredible. I'm not sure the exact dates when Verve and Fifth & Third started, but we can safely say that we've seen four construction starts in the EV alone in only the past five months. That's quite something even for one neighbourhood during boom times, let alone in the midst of the second worst recession this province has ever seen.
 
As the last 2 plus years has shown us, we don't need the economy to pick up to get the East Village developed quickly. An economic rebound would merely speed up the already lightning fast pace of EV development.

Projects to look forward to starting or at least publicly revealed over the next 12 months since The Hat started: INK (starting), M2 (starting), Courtyard I and II (revealed), N3 II (revealed), and potentially Verve East (revealed).
 
I wonder how many more projects will break ground after INK though? Most of the projects completed or under construction in EV had their wheels in motion a long time ago. The Hat and Ink were later in the game.
 
The Hat, Ink, and N3 were all the late comers. After Ink and M2 go up, we might see a lull in construction. I'd be willing to bet that the next project to start after that will be N3 Phase 2, and then Courtyard after that.
 
The Hat is the nice surprise. Ink is small enough to make it although I don't think it's a forgone conclusion just yet. Is there new info on M2? I haven't read anything in a couple years. I just concluded it was dead. N3 has been around a while. It's pretty small too and is being developed by a gigantic marketing machine. Doesn't look like the Riocan towers will be going ahead anytime soon.

The good news is the economy isn't that bad to prevent developers from walking away like the Germain Group. It's unlikely to be in a position to encourage new development to take place anytime soon. We'll see. "Lightning fast pace", economy proof is just, IMHO, more annoying rhetoric .
 
I'm still conflicted about the Hat.

On one hand it will be nice to have a rental tower (especially one that includes 3 bedrooms, so better suited to families) that will help to diversity the mix of the neighbourhood.

On the other hand, man is the design of the tower itself bland. I was hoping East Village would become a neighborhood that pushes forward design boundaries in this city. The institutions (NMC/library) are doing their part, but the condo towers are relatively safe in comparison...with the Hat being downright cookie-cutter. With a name like the Hat, you'd expect something with at least some personality.
 
The Hat is the nice surprise. Ink is small enough to make it although I don't think it's a forgone conclusion just yet. Is there new info on M2? I haven't read anything in a couple years. I just concluded it was dead. N3 has been around a while. It's pretty small too and is being developed by a gigantic marketing machine. Doesn't look like the Riocan towers will be going ahead anytime soon.

The good news is the economy isn't that bad to prevent developers from walking away like the Germain Group. It's unlikely to be in a position to encourage new development to take place anytime soon. We'll see. "Lightning fast pace", economy proof is just, IMHO, more annoying rhetoric .

The Embassy Bosa towers (RioCan) might be a suprise. Someone here on the forum that works on the project has said they are going up.

FWIW, I wouldn't call EV's lightning fast development rhetoric. The evolution of EV has in fact been very fast. It was only a few years ago that EV was devoid of any life except for the Salvation Army men's shelter, and now only a few years later it's bustling. whatever the reasons behind it, one thing nobody can argue is that it's rise has been rapid.
 
I'm still conflicted about the Hat.

On one hand it will be nice to have a rental tower (especially one that includes 3 bedrooms, so better suited to families) that will help to diversity the mix of the neighbourhood.

On the other hand, man is the design of the tower itself bland. I was hoping East Village would become a neighborhood that pushes forward design boundaries in this city. The institutions (NMC/library) are doing their part, but the condo towers are relatively safe in comparison...with the Hat being downright cookie-cutter. With a name like the Hat, you'd expect something with at least some personality.

Part of me wishes that development in EV halts for a period in hopes that it picks up when there is a new trend in cladding/building materials. I agree 100% about the residential towers looking very similar. I would hate to see EV become a neighborhood of mostly 20-30 storey glass and spandrel towers. A few low rise buildings with varying materials, thrown into the mix is my hope.
 
A few low rise buildings with varying materials, thrown into the mix is my hope.

It's one reason I hope the gas station by NMC gets to stick around or be repurposed into something. Those are the types of building that help give neighborhoods personality.
 
One thing I like about INK it's a smaller building sandwiched in between two other buildings of different styles. That street will be more interesting at the pedestrian level.
I wish there was more of that for East Village, but the way the blocks are divided up, most development will be the larger scale with the podiums and towers.
 

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